Method and apparatus for testing relative hardness of horizontally displaced surfaces
An apparatus and method for testing relative hardness of horizontal concrete surfaces includes a weighted platform with scratching pins on a bottom surface of the platform. The pins are arranged in a trapezoidal arrangement. The apparatus is translated over the surface to determine if the surface has reached the desired level of hardness. If translation of the apparatus results in scratching of the surface, the desired level of hardness has not been reached.
Latest CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY LABORATORIES, INC. Patents:
This application claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 62/761,324 entitled “Device to Measure the Relative Hardness of Horizontal Concrete Surfaces”, filed Mar. 16, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference.
I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A. Field of InventionThis invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses for testing, and specifically a method and apparatus for testing the relative hardness of planar surfaces, and most specifically, horizontal concrete surfaces.
B. Description of the Related ArtIt is known in the art to test concrete surfaces by scratching them with a manually-held and manually-operated screwdriver.
The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for repeatable measurement of the desired surface, specifically, horizontally-oriented concrete surfaces.
II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to one aspect of the present invention, a new and improved apparatus and method of using same is provided which provides for more repeatable testing data.
One advantage of this invention is the repeatability of the data.
Another advantage of the invention is improved safety, as a workman wielding a screwdriver or other sharp implement to gauge surface conditions is likely more dangerous than operating the invention disclosed in this document.
Still other benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, embodiment of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the same, the inventive apparatus 10 comprises a platform 12. The platform is preferably generally rectangular in shape and has an upper surface 14, a lower surface 16, first, second, third, and fourth side surfaces respectively 18, 20, 22, and 24. The first side surface 18 is adapted to receive and mount an attachment device 30. With reference to
With reference to
With continued reference to
In an embodiment shown in
The number of scratching pins 80 is preferably at least three, so as to define a plane and enable the platform 12 to sit in a stable orientation on the associated surface 50. The preferred material for the scratching pins is O1 tool steel which has been heat-treated to Rc 54-56. However, the currently preferred embodiment features four scratching pins arranged near the corners of the platform 10 as shown in
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
The preferred method of operating the apparatus 10 will now be discussed. When the relative hardness generally planar surface is to be evaluated, an appropriate design of scratching pin is selected and screwed into the lower surface 16 of the platform 12. Next, an appropriate amount of weight is determined, and if additional weights are needed, they are added. Next, the platform is pulled across the surface. One easy way to do this is for a rope, strap, or cable to be attached to one of the attachment devices shown herein. A human, using manually operated forces, can pull the attachment means across a surface, such as concrete. Other applications have a robot or a machine pulling the apparatus across the desired surface. For example, a lapse setting, the apparatus could be pulled across a planar substrate of plastic or metal. However, the primary application for this device is industrial concrete floor slabs, using manually generated forces, to pull the apparatus across concrete.
The benefit of such an analysis is to determine whether if the floor slab has been finished to the desired hardness to resist abrasion and perform as intended.
With reference to
The embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above methods and apparatuses may incorporate changes and modifications without departing from the general scope of this invention. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations in so far as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
Claims
1. An apparatus for determining the relative hardness of a horizontal concrete surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a platform, said platform being square and having a height between 0.25 inches and 6 inches, a width between 2.00 inches and 14.00 inches, and a depth between 2.00 inches and 14.00 inches; said platform being made of steel and having a weight between 2 pounds and 100 pounds; said platform having an upper surface, a lower surface, and first, second, third and fourth side surfaces; said lower surface having four receptacles for selectively receiving a first end of scratching pins, said receptacles being in a trapezoidal pattern located between 0.5 inches and 6 inches from one said of side surfaces; said receptacles having an interior bore; said upper surface having a first receptacle located in the center of the upper surface of the platform, said first receptacle in said upper surface having an interior bore and therein selectively receiving a first attachment pin, said first attachment pin being cylindrical and having a diameter;
- b. a first weighting disk, said first weighting disk having an upper surface, a lower surface, and side surface; said lower surface having a threaded receptacle for selectively receiving a second end of said first attachment pin in said platform, said threaded receptacle in said first weighting disk being located at the center of the lower surface of the first weighting disk; said threaded receptacle in said lower surface of said first weighting disk having an interior bore; said upper surface of said first weighting disk having a first receptacle located in the center of said upper surface of said first weighting disk, said first receptacle in said upper surface being threaded and having an interior bore and therein selectively receiving a second attachment pin, said second attachment pin in said first weighting disk being cylindrical, said first weighting disk having a diameter between 2 inches and 12 inches and a thickness between 0.25 inches and 4 inches, and having a center hole having a diameter of between 0.25 inches and 1.25 inches;
- c. a second weighting disk, said second weighting disk having an upper surface, a lower surface, and side surface; said lower surface having a threaded receptacle for selectively receiving a second end of said second attachment pin in said first weighting disk, said threaded receptacle in said second weighting disk being located at the center of the lower surface of said second weighting disk; said threaded receptacle in said lower surface of said second weighting disk having an interior bore; said upper surface of said second weighting disk having a first receptacle located in the center of said upper surface of said second weighting disk, said first receptacle in said upper surface being threaded and having an interior bore and therein selectively receiving a first end of a lifting device;
- d. said scratching pins extending outwardly and downwardly from said lower surface of said platform; and,
- e. an attachment device, having first and second ends; said attachment device being selectively attached to said first side surface of said platform; said first side surface having a threaded receptacle for selectively receiving said second end of said attachment device, said threaded receptacle in said first side surface of said platform being located at the center of said first side surface of said platform.
2. An apparatus for determining a condition of a surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a platform, said platform having an upper surface, a lower surface, and first, second, third and fourth side surfaces; said lower surface having a plurality of receptacles for selectively receiving a first end of a respective plurality of scratching pins arranged in a predetermined orientation on the lower surface of the platform;
- b. a first weighting member, said first weighting member having an upper surface, and a lower surface; said lower surface being configured to be selectively attached to said platform;
- c. a second weighting member, said second weighting member having an upper surface, and a lower surface; said lower surface being configured to be selectively attached to said first weighting member;
- d. said scratching pins extending outwardly and downwardly from said lower surface of said platform and arranged sufficiently near corners of the platform to enable the platform to sit in a stable orientation on the associated concrete surface; and,
- e. an attachment device selectively attached to said first side surface of said platform, so that said platform is translated across the associated surface.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of receptacles and the respective plurality of scratching pins is four.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the predetermined orientation of the four scratching pins is in a trapezoidal configuration to decrease likelihood of a scratch from one pin being coincident with a scratch of another pin.
5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the scratching pins is selected from a plurality of scratching pin configurations.
6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the scratching pins is made of O1 tool steel which has been heat-treated to Rc 54-56.
7. A method of determining whether concrete has achieved a desired level of hardness, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. selecting at least one desired scratching pin from a plurality of scratching pins and affixing said pin to a platform;
- b. selecting a desired weight and affixing said weight to said platform;
- c. placing said platform on an associated concrete surface;
- d. translating said platform across the associated concrete surface;
- e. evaluating the associated concrete surface to determine if any scratches have been achieved; and,
- f. determining whether the associated concrete surface has been finished to the desired hardness to resist abrasion and perform as intended based on whether any scratches have been achieved.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein said translating is by placing a tensile force on said platform by pulling said platform.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining comprises determining that the associated concrete surface exhibits proper hardness if it will not be scratched by the desired scratching pin with the desired weight.
2279264 | April 1942 | Hoffman |
2801540 | August 1957 | Rondeau |
3785198 | January 1974 | Heetman |
3937069 | February 10, 1976 | Saunders |
5804706 | September 8, 1998 | Williston |
10775288 | September 15, 2020 | Bellemare |
20040011119 | January 22, 2004 | Jardret |
20100206041 | August 19, 2010 | Seok |
20120103055 | May 3, 2012 | Ryan |
20140373608 | December 25, 2014 | Bellemare |
20160258852 | September 8, 2016 | Bellemare |
20150074505 | July 2015 | KR |
- English Translation of KR-20150074505-A (Year: 2015).
Type: Grant
Filed: Mar 15, 2019
Date of Patent: Oct 4, 2022
Patent Publication Number: 20190285526
Assignee: CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY LABORATORIES, INC. (Skokie, IL)
Inventor: Terry J. Willems (Kenosha, WI)
Primary Examiner: Alexander A Mercado
Application Number: 16/355,618
International Classification: G01N 3/46 (20060101); G01N 33/38 (20060101);